Programmer

A video game programmer uses a programming language like C++, C#, or Java, to instruct the computer on how to take all of the art and other content and turn it into a working game.

Programming is by far the most technical job in the industry. Most programmers start by getting a degree in computer science, but if you’re a good self-starter then you may be able to learn on your own and try for an entry-level programming job at a game company. I know many successful programmers who do not have a computer science degree, but it’s a difficult way to start out. (You’d better hope you have a great game developer resume!)

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On a given day as a video game programmer, you’ll do things like:

Read documentation or talk with the team about how a given game feature should work

Plan your approach to coding the game feature by talking with other programmers, drawing diagrams, researching, etc.

Use special software called an “integrated development environment” (IDE) to type your instructions as “source code”

Run the game to test your source code and make sure it works as intended, and make changes/fixes if it didn’t work

Receive bug reports from the QA testers, and attempt to fix the issues that they’ve discovered

The job of video game programmer requires deep technical know-how, focus, and patience. But if this job sounds right to you, then it can be extremely fun and rewarding. Also, programmers generally get the highest salaries in the game industry, so your hard work will definitely pay off.